Plants/trees you'd love to have, but for some reason can't?

[gata montes]

Welcome to the club I've had very little success trying to grow a lot things from seed! I think it's a skill I simply don't have, or maybe I've been doing it all wrong! Is there another way to propagate that beautiful plant? By the way, this plant (the flower) is used a lot over here, whenever we buy some flowers for someone, there is always one of those flowers there They're really beautiful!

Thanks, sweety I also hope I can move to a house with a big garden one day So I can finally get a wisteria and let it grow as much as it can. Seeing you have a lot experience with this magnificent tree... is it hard to make them bloom or you don't really need to interfere a lot? I think read a post somewhere talking about a wisteria that wasn't blooming at all. That made me wonder... is it really that hard to make them bloom? I saw a wisteria in real life once, but this one was extremely tall and wasn't such as profuse as the ones in those pictures.

Sorry to hear about your porch coming down! I hope it didn't cost so much to fix it. I hate it when we have to spend on things we weren't planning to

No Trellum its far worse than that, seem to be able to grow just about anything from seed, its just this Strelitzia thats been evading all my attempts so far yes there are other ways to propagate them, but first need a plant in order to do it. Yes florists love them, not just for their beauty but also because they are expensive, and are always in great demand as a single bloom or in a bouquet as you mentioned.

Quite a lot of time has passed since last caring for a Wisteria, so may be a bit rusty on this one.

Wisterias are not plants that like too much TLC and are best owned by someone, who always carries a pair of secateurs with them and enjoys heavy pruning, as they grow like triffids
No its not hard to keep a Wisteria blooming year after year. The most common reason for a Wisteria not to produce flowers is, lack of or timid pruning - they like to be cut back real hard twice a year.
As I said, they don't like too much TLC, therefore giving them too much fertilizer or over-watering them can also stop them from blooming. Didn't give mine any fertilizer at all, and only watered it infrequently, if at all, yet it bloomed profusely every year until its demise, in that year, of the storm - and ouch, that porch was costly.

Know you don't currently have much space, but as Gina suggested, Wisterias are used for bonsai, and beautiful they are too - maybe this is your answer, could give you lots of pleasure whilst waiting to grow a larger one

 

[justusforus]

I love wisteria and had one at my last place. I also had a fig tree and that is what I would want now. I had a small tree but it did not survive. I will try again since it is a beautiful tree and I love the fruit!

 

[claudine]

Wow, really?? I love ivy I've never been as lucky as you are... having the walls of your house totally covered with ivy!! I think they give a really nice touch to a house, they look so elegant Specially if the wall we are talking about is a brick one. By the way, why did you parents want to get rid of such an amazing thing???

The ivy was destroying the roughcast and there was a mildew on the wall. Also, mice learned how to climb it
But in my opinion aesthetic pleasure is more important than practical sense and I would never get rid of the ivy.
In general, my parents turned a lovely garden into a big, boring lawn. Don't ask me why, because I have no idea, I don't understand them at all

 

[Trellum]

Eww... mildew, that sounds like a problem, now that I think about it, having ivy on your wall might be a bit troublesome I loled a bit at the mice part, those little creatures are really pesky, but they always find a way in! I also consider easthetic pleasure to be a bit more important than practical sense, I mean, getting rid of mildew isn't easy, but it can be fixed As for the roughcast, well it depends on how bad it was destroying it? I mean, it's just an ivy, right!? Ahh well, RIP ivy!

 

[Trellum]

No Trellum its far worse than that, seem to be able to grow just about anything from seed, its just this Strelitzia thats been evading all my attempts so far yes there are other ways to propagate them, but first need a plant in order to do it. Yes florists love them, not just for their beauty but also because they are expensive, and are always in great demand as a single bloom or in a bouquet as you mentioned.

Quite a lot of time has passed since last caring for a Wisteria, so may be a bit rusty on this one.

Wisterias are not plants that like too much TLC and are best owned by someone, who always carries a pair of secateurs with them and enjoys heavy pruning, as they grow like triffids
No its not hard to keep a Wisteria blooming year after year. The most common reason for a Wisteria not to produce flowers is, lack of or timid pruning - they like to be cut back real hard twice a year.
As I said, they don't like too much TLC, therefore giving them too much fertilizer or over-watering them can also stop them from blooming. Didn't give mine any fertilizer at all, and only watered it infrequently, if at all, yet it bloomed profusely every year until its demise, in that year, of the storm - and ouch, that porch was costly.

Know you don't currently have much space, but as Gina suggested, Wisterias are used for bonsai, and beautiful they are too - maybe this is your answer, could give you lots of pleasure whilst waiting to grow a larger one

Ow sorry to hear that! I hope you can grow that plant from seed soon, it must be so frustrating not to be able to grow that plant in specific. It actually intrigued me, I'll try to find more info on it, but if I'm not mistaken (please correct me if I am!) this plant is one of those plants that have a bulb. Getting a bulb of that plant can't be easy!

Thanks a lot My dad always failed with the pruning part and I guess that's why he wasn't good growing fruit trees. Let's hope I'm better at it, so one day I can keep one of those wisterias at home The more I read about them, the more I fall in love with them, because it seems they don't require a lot care or TLC Thanks a lot for sharing all your info You always have something useful to say!

 

[Trellum]

Wow I was never aware of how beautiful a Wisteria tree is! Aren't a lot of perfumes scented with that? I'm really into Weeping Willow Trees. When I was a kid, I used to call them, Weeping Willie Trees haha. I don't think I could have one in our yard though since it is so small and our neighbors stink.

I'm not sure about that, but I'd love to try one of those perfumes They must smell so good! I think (someone please correct me if I'm mistaken) wisterias and willow trees are really related. Why? Because they look similar and you can root a branch quite easily. You can't do that with a lot trees! Over here you can find a lot willow trees in the wild, it seems they really thrive when they're growing close to the water.

 

[ChanellG]

...I do have one, it's a really nice tree known as ''wisteria''. I can't grow a tree like that over here because I don't have a lot space...

Trellum, wisteria starts out as a vine and it takes forever for it to become as thick as a tree. You could keep one in a large pot and carefully prune it (which you would would have to do anyway to train it into a tree) - I say carefully because Martha Stewart learned the hard way what happens when you vigorously prune wisteria. Treat it like a bonsai of sorts and it will be years before it gets too big for your space.

 

[ChanellG]

If I had a big place with a huge garden, I would want cherry blossom trees.
Right now I'm just an apartment dweller so no sakura trees for me.

This is beautiful, ACSAPA! I wouldn't mind one of these myself, or a dogwood. I'd love to have a house with a long drive that I could line with white crepe myrtles. I think that would be gorgeous! I'm trying to figure out if I have the space for a sweet olive - when it blooms it smells amazing!

If I had more space I'd love to have fruit bearing trees like lime, apple, and avocado. Olive and almond trees are beautiful as well and they provide food ongoing unlike seasonal plants.

 

[gata montes]

Ow sorry to hear that! I hope you can grow that plant from seed soon, it must be so frustrating not to be able to grow that plant in specific. It actually intrigued me, I'll try to find more info on it, but if I'm not mistaken (please correct me if I am!) this plant is one of those plants that have a bulb. Getting a bulb of that plant can't be easy!

Thanks a lot My dad always failed with the pruning part and I guess that's why he wasn't good growing fruit trees. Let's hope I'm better at it, so one day I can keep one of those wisterias at home The more I read about them, the more I fall in love with them, because it seems they don't require a lot care or TLC Thanks a lot for sharing all your info You always have something useful to say!

Yes its extremely frustrating and yes you are right, Strelitzias are tuberous rooted, but you rarely see the tubers for sale, seed is the most commonly available form, which is a real pain

You're welcome, at least you now have a bit of info on caring for your future Wisteria, which, if you keep on reading about them, may be much sooner than you think Hope your wish comes true one day, am sure it will

 

[justusforus]

I love Wisteria when I had them before, but be careful if you put them near parking areas. The flowers fall and the sap can do some ugly things to your paint finish. Otherwise they are so gorgeous!

 

[Trellum]

Trellum, wisteria starts out as a vine and it takes forever for it to become as thick as a tree. You could keep one in a large pot and carefully prune it (which you would would have to do anyway to train it into a tree) - I say carefully because Martha Stewart learned the hard way what happens when you vigorously prune wisteria. Treat it like a bonsai of sorts and it will be years before it gets too big for your space.

Thanks for the info but the main problem is I might be moving to the Netherlands maybe next year, so I'd be leaving that wisteria behind... and my mom and my dad aren't the best at taking care of plants and trees! So that poor thing would surely die. It seems this tree/vine really need pruning and my dad isn't good at it. So I guess I'll have to wait anyway

 

[Trellum]

Yes its extremely frustrating and yes you are right, Strelitzias are tuberous rooted, but you rarely see the tubers for sale, seed is the most commonly available form, which is a real pain

You're welcome, at least you now have a bit of info on caring for your future Wisteria, which, if you keep on reading about them, may be much sooner than you think Hope your wish comes true one day, am sure it will

Have you seen the full plants for sale? I ask because I never have seen that kind of plant for sale, the only time I have see it is as part of a really beautiful, but expensive bouquet :O

I sure hope so, once I move out of the country I think I'll have the chance to do a lot amazing things One of the first things I'll do when we get our first house (maybe after a looooot years) is to get a wisteria.

 

[Trellum]

I love Wisteria when I had them before, but be careful if you put them near parking areas. The flowers fall and the sap can do some ugly things to your paint finish. Otherwise they are so gorgeous!

Wow, really? I had no idea about that! Thanks for the warning I've never had a wisteria before, but now I can almost feel like an expert on this topic I'm so glad I joined this forum, I'm learning more and more everyday Like for example, I had no idea wisterias started out as vines, until a really helpful user pointed that out

 

[gata montes]

Have you seen the full plants for sale? I ask because I never have seen that kind of plant for sale, the only time I have see it is as part of a really beautiful, but expensive bouquet :O

I sure hope so, once I move out of the country I think I'll have the chance to do a lot amazing things One of the first things I'll do when we get our first house (maybe after a looooot years) is to get a wisteria.

Yes, you can buy Strelitzias as a fully grown plants, which would actually be the ideal way to acquire one, they are quite expensive though. You'll normally see them for sale in most Mediterranean Countries, in areas where they have good garden centers / nurseries, unfortunately for me I don't live anywhere near a garden center or nursery of any description, which is why I have to continue trying to grow mine from seed.

I'm sure you will and am sure you'll get amazing results from all the things that you do Just don't forget, prior to buying your Wisteria, invest in a good pair of secateurs, that will fit easily into a pocket and therefore be on hand, to prune your Wisteria at any time it is needed

 

[Gina145]

Hahaha, yeah, I thought the same about Jacarandas, cleaning all those flowers around the garden... it's a must if you have small children as well So I don't think I'll ever have a jacaranda, as for wisteria... I had NO idea they could be used for bonsai... do you think they still get to bloom a little bit? Probably not Wisterias look like magical trees... the first time I saw one, I couldn't believe my eyes!!!

If I ever move to a house with a huge garden... I'll surely get a wisteria... and let it grow big But for now, no I don't even have space for a small one I've so little space, and I don't want to make that poor tree suffer.

Wisterias definitely bloom as bonsai, though I suppose one would have to be sure that doesn't keep one's bonsai too small. I did a quick Google search. Just have a look at these.